


Bloom! Episode 1 - Whispers in the Wind

by pashaimeru



Series: Bloom! [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bad Ending, Corruption, F/F, Magical Girls, Mind Control, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 08:22:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20543045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pashaimeru/pseuds/pashaimeru
Summary: An otherworldly princess escapes to the world of mortals as her kingdom is swallowed by darkness. The three mortal girls she blesses with her powers fight back against the monsters that pursue after her. Will the power of hope and friendship be enough to stem the tide of evil, to save their world and the princess's own?An OC magical girl story with dark adult themes, focusing on corruption, mind control and transformation. Every full episode will have feature a canonical good ending, and an alternative bad one. The biggest—but not only—inspirations for the story are Pretty Cure and Sailor Moon.The story will mostly focus on kink content over sexual themes, but various episodes will have explicit material as well, up to and including nonconsensual sex, character death and even more extreme kink content such as vore and unbirthing. Some stories will be darker than others, but in general, consider this a content warning.Though episodic in nature, the works are meant to be read in order. This is the place from where to start.





	1. Prologue

**Prologue – Elsewhere**

“Mother, you won’t win.”

The golden-haired princess’s defiant words rang hollow, eliciting little more than a small smile from the dark empress. “My dear, I already have. There are but a few rebellious souls left. What chance do you imagine yourself having against me? Give me the Heart. Cease your foolish struggle and bend your knee. Embrace my dark blessing and take your place by my side, where you were always meant to be.”

The princess had but three bodyguards left. They were her most loyal servants, her most trusted friends since childhood. They were still with her, standing against the darkness that had very nearly consumed their whole world, threatening to swallow the last ray of hope it had left.

“Oh, shut up!” Defying the woman she had once called her empress, one of the three stepped forward. The magma gauntlet on her hand blazing with fury, she sent a flaming punch her way, the ensuing inferno powerful enough to melt stone.

It had no effect on the dark empress, not that anyone had expected it to. She didn’t even have to raise a finger; the shadows that surrounded her merely absorbed the flames, snuffing them out like a candle. By this point, with all that she had consumed, no attack that any one of them could muster would do her any harm. There was a cruel smile on the empress’ black lips as she raised her hand, and—

“Please run, your highness!” said the youngest of the princess’s bodyguards, gripping her wand tightly as she created a protective barrier around the trio. “We’ll... handle this!”

“Bet, Lyn, Ione...” the princess said, her voice choked up. “Please... do your best.”

“Yeah. We’ll be right behind you.” Ione gave her an encouraging nod and a gentle smile before reaching to shape the stone walls between them, drawing them together and sealing the passageway between the princess and her mother, trapping the three bodyguards with the dark empress.

Her words were a lie, of course. They stood no chance against the darkness they faced. All they could do was to buy the princess some time.

But it was enough. Their sacrifice hadn’t been in vain.

**Prologue – Here**

It was hard to believe the summer was over. The unseasonal weather might’ve played a part: September morning as it was, the sun was burning hot and bright in the sky, people outside seeking shelter in the shade. Still, the backpack weighed heavily on Sofia’s shoulders as she stepped out of her room, reminding her that the holidays truly were done with.

It wasn’t that Sofia Sylte was a bad student. She got good enough grades and she took the time to study for most exams. But the last summer had been fun and carefree, and it had seemed to go on forever: camping out in the mountains with Fleur and Dot, going out for milkshakes whenever she felt like it, squabbling with her brother over the right to use the backyard hammock—as insignificant those things had seemed at the time, they were all now precious memories to her, of days gone by...

Sofia sighed, looking herself over in the hallway mirror. She was wearing her favourite t-shirt and a brand-new pair of shorts. Her curly, cinnamon hair that always seemed to resist her efforts to comb it was held roughly in shape with a headband. Her new pink earrings looked cute and suited her well.

A bit short for her age and fond of cutesy looks, people tended to mistake her for a younger girl than she actually was, but she didn’t really mind. Fleur would’ve been furious, though. She always took the effort to look mature, and treating her as a child was the surest way to provoke her.

A little smile appeared on Sofia’s face as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Maybe she was being overdramatic. The summer was over, sure, but there’d be plenty of time to do something fun even during the school year. And besides, she had her two best friends in the same class as her. School wouldn’t be so bad.

“...Aren’t you going to be late from school?” Oliver asked, still in his pyjamas as he walked down the stairs. “What are you staring at yourself for, anyway?”

Embarrassed, Sofia took a step back and frowned at her big brother. “J-jeez. I’m going! Leave me alone!” So much for good mood.

* * *

Dot yawned. Fleur shook her head, looking her friend over. “Did you not sleep last night? You should see the dark circles under your eyes.”

“But Fleeeur. Having to wake up this early is awful. It’s inhumane! School shouldn’t start before ten!”

It was the first recession, the morning class already over. Grinning sympathetically at the Dot, Sofia shrugged. “It’s going to take some time to get used to waking up this early again. And besides, that class was kind of boring. I feel like yawning too. ”

Her two friends had always stood in stark contrast to each other. Fleur was smart and beautiful, and she knew it. Her raven black hair was long and straight, often adorned with a ribbon. She preferred skirts over trousers, and she had been the first girl in her class to begin using makeup. She was a traditional beauty, so much so that the boys of the school had always been a bit too intimidated to approach her. Sofia had gotten quite a few love letters from them, not meant for herself, but rather to be passed over to Fleur. She had to admit, it kind of stung.

Dot, meanwhile, was less than perfect in comparison. She was clumsy and inattentive, and her grades were poor. Her choppy, bob cut orange hair was often even more of a mess than Sofia’s own, as easy as it looked to maintain. She laughed a lot, and loudly, to the point where teachers often grew annoyed with her for disrupting class. Her tastes were perhaps the most peculiar part about her: her favourite backpack bore images of 1980s era wrestling superstars, and at home, she had a collection of strange plush animals that just about everyone else in the world would’ve described as hideous.

Thinking about it, both of them were quite eccentric in their own fashion. Sometimes, Sofia felt like the only normal one in the group.

“Oh, I like your earrings, Sofia,” Fleur said, changing the subject. “Are they new?”

Sofia grinned. “Yeah! I got them from my mother, for my birthday. Aren’t they cute?”

“Hmmm,” Dot said, pursing her lips and looking Sofia over, circling her around. “I haven’t seen you wear earrings before. Are you turning into Fleur...?”

“What’s that supposed to mean, anyway?” Fleur asked, raising an eyebrow. “Plenty of girls in our class wear them, I’m hardly the only one. Maybe you should try it too, pay some attention to your appearance for once.”

“Hu, hu, hu... maybe I will. Maybe I’ll come to school one day looking like the greatest beauty anyone’s ever seen. Everyone will love me, and you’ll be all alone and forgotten, green with envy...” Dot said, smirking and rubbing her hands together.

Fleur rolled her eyes. It wasn’t exactly a credible threat. “I don’t get envious. But I do encourage you to try.”

“Ahahaha...” Sofia laughed, scratching her cheek. “The class is starting soon. Maybe we should go.”

* * *

The girls’ first day back at school on that hot September day drew to a close. Feeling a bit tired, Sofia put on her bunny pyjamas and went to sleep early. As such, like most people in town of White Hollow, she missed the falling star that streaked through the sky at midnight. For those few that caught it, it was a beautiful sight; some swore up and down they had seen it leave behind a trail of stardust, glittering in a rainbow of colours before dissipating into the darkness of the night.

That night, many residents of the town had strange dreams, and Sofia was no exception. She had always had a penchant for childish fancy, but this was the first time she’d had dreams quite this fantastical and vivid. Magical castles and unicorns, beautiful princesses and noble knights... and a rising shadow that encroached it all.

When she woke up next morning, she remembered very little. She wasn’t even certain if it had been a nightmare or not. And by the time the first class began, the memory of last night had already all but vanished from her mind.


	2. True Path

Ever since that falling star trailed through the sky a few nights ago, Heidi Valdez had not been feeling like her usual self. Her dreams had grown vivid, and dark. Strange, _disturbing_ fantasies kept popping into her head, distracting her from her work at the veterinary clinic. She had asked her employer for the rest of the week off so she could sort herself out, and her request had been granted. But as it turned out, spending even more time with her own thoughts with none of the usual distractions around her only seemed to make the problem worse.

Heidi was _lonely_. She would’ve never admitted herself to it before, but the past days had seen the emptiness within her grow and gnaw at her like never before. She had been in a relationship before, a couple of times, but it had never seemed to work out. Heidi loved the company of her two cats, but she had never learned to love other people the same way. She had long since come to terms with the fact that she’d be better off by herself, so why? What was this crushing feeling of loneliness and desire that had been welling up within her, growing so strong she felt like she was ready to burst?

“It hurts, doesn’t it?” said the girl in the mirror. Green hair, poisonous green lips, a piercing look in her strange violet eyes that seemed to see right through her, wearing a dress made out of poison oak leaves. Beautiful enough for Heidi to almost want to step through the mirror to be with her, but even through the addled state of her mind, she could hear the alarm bells ring. Whoever she was, whatever she was, she was dangerous. If she was even real.

Heidi responded with a blink and a stare, mesmerised and afraid.

“I know it does. You poor thing. This world is no longer good enough for you.” Despite her dark smile, the girl in the mirror spoke in a soothing tone, her voice full of sympathy. It took Heidi off guard. She _pitied_ her, the same way one might pity a small, hurt animal. “But I can help you create a new one. I can help you make things better. With my power, you can fill that hole within your heart, make your deepest desires come true. Observe...”

What else could Heidi do but watch and listen? What else could she do but to smile and submit? The dreams she’d been having, the fantasies that had blossomed forth from the darkest parts of her soul... she never could’ve imagined they could be made real.

* * *

Golden blonde hair. Sofia blinked. Had someone tried talking to her? The words had sounded sad, desperate, but she hadn’t understood them. She wanted to help, but—

“Sofia Sylte. Are you paying attention?”

The girl straightened up immediately, her eyes wide, but she was too slow to react. The piece of chalk, expertly tossed over half the classroom, landed squarely against her forehead. Sofia yelped, more out of surprise than pain, rubbing her head and slumping her shoulders. “S-sorry. I was just, um...”

The classroom burst into laughter. Fleur, sitting next to her, gave her a sympathetic wince. The teacher crossed her arms, grinning devilishly. “No improvement in your reaction time over last year. Sometimes I wonder if I’m failing to teach you anything at all.”

“Uuu... I’ll get better,” Sofia mumbled, feeling both a little hurt and sincerely sorry. Despite her penchant for sniping inattentive students with pieces of chalk, Ms Swift was an excellent teacher, and Sofia really didn’t want her to think her classes were boring her.

But, for the past few days, things had been a little weird. She had slept oddly and daydreamed a lot, and there had been a constant feeling of there being something she was supposed to be doing. Of someone needing her...?

“Psst. Page 31,” whispered Fleur. Right, it was time to actually try to focus on the class.

* * *

The rest of the school day went well enough. At the very least, Sofia didn’t fall asleep during the subsequent classes, and as much trouble as she had focusing, it didn’t really matter for gym and mathematics—she never could focus on maths even on her best days, after all.

It was Friday, thankfully, and neither Sofia nor Fleur had been in a hurry home. Dot had wanted to show them the latest in her collection of plushies, and with some mild trepidation, the two of them had accepted the invitation.

“It’s... very cute,” said Fleur, as polite as always.

Dot beamed, seemingly not minding the forced smile on her friend’s face. “Isn’t it? Effie found it for me!”

Looking over the strange plush animal, Sofia couldn’t quite decide what animal it was meant to represent. The ears said “rabbit”, but the green-and-orange colour scheme and six legs said something else altogether. Who made these things anyway, and what was the intended target audience? Other than Dot, that is.

“I think I’ll name him... Grumpkin. What do you think, Effie?”

“It’s, um, a good name,” Effie said, hesitating slightly. “He looks like a Grumpkin.”

Effie was Dot’s younger sister by two years, and she physically resembled her quite a bit. Orange hair ran in the family, Effie keeping hers a bit longer, usually tied to a ponytail. She was skinnier and not quite as developed as her sister was, but she was deceptively athletic. She had made it all the way to the provincial soccer championship match last year with her team, and as of late, she’d taken an interest in martial arts as well, supposedly winning some beginners’ tournament.

In the presence of her Dot and her friends, Effie had always been calm, gentle and thoughtful, the perfect little sister. If the rumours were true, though, that wasn’t all there was to her. Sofia had heard through the grapevine that Effie had gotten into trouble before summer for getting in fight with some of the boys in her class, and apparently, it had become something of a big deal—but Sofia had never asked about the matter from the sisters themselves.

“Yeah. Yeah, Grumpkin sounds good...” Sofia mumbled, exchanging looks with Fleur and Effie both.

“Anyway, mum told me to call you downstairs,” Effie said. “She’s got ice cream and cookies, I think.”

“Hooray!” Dot jumped off the bed, Grumpkin still in her tight squeeze. “Let’s go!”

* * *

By the time Sofia left for home, it was already getting dark. Years ago, Sofia had been afraid of walking alone like this, through the poorly illuminated suburbs in the evening, but she’d long since grown past that. There was nothing to be afraid of in White Hollow. It was a quiet town, where nothing ever seemed to happen.

So why was it that she was feeling so anxious tonight?

“...to me... please, listen to my voice...”

It was like the wind, or a whisper. Not quite sure whether she was imagining or not, Sofia stopped to look around. All she could hear was the distant traffic from the direction of the downtown, the neighbourhood otherwise entirely silent.

“...danger...”

There was a rustle, coming from somewhere behind her. Turning around, Sofia found herself face to face with the strangest woman she’d ever seen, stepping out from behind the bushes.

Wearing a skin-tight bodysuit of white leather, long heels and gloves and a white half-hood that covered the upper half of her head, she looked like she was coming from a costume party of some sort—like a Halloween event held nearly two months early. Dangling from the waist of her suit were half a dozen white leather collars, tied to thin silver strings. The slitted, catlike eyes under her mask had a startling silver tone to them, almost glowing as they reflected the dim streetlight. Her lips, painted glossy silver, were twisted in a cruel smile.

Sofia found herself frozen, for a moment. Something was _off_ about the woman in front of her, and it wasn’t just her looks. She had no words to describe what she was feeling: it was as if there were a hole in reality where the leather-costumed woman stood, a dark cloud, an absence of light.

“I found a live one, it seems,” the woman said, her silver eyes focused on Sofia. “Come here, kitten. Your mistress will take good care of you from now on...”

From the corner of her eye, reflected off a window, Sofia could just barely see the girl from her dreams. Golden-haired and beautiful, and... “Run!”

Instinctively, reacting with speed that surprised even herself, Sofia dodged left. The woman had tossed one of her collars at her, a silver string trailing behind it as it whizzed through the air like a frisbee, missing her neck by a hair’s width. With wide eyes, she rolled onto the grass, her heart beating like a drum. She had no idea what had just happened, but she knew she was in danger. Certain of the fact that she couldn’t let the woman hit her, she clumsily tried to climb on her feet.

“I won’t miss again, kitten. Dealing with unruly little pets like you is nothing new to me,” she said, a glint in her eyes as she threw another collar, aimed sharply at her exposed neck.

Sofia was off-balance; there was no time to react, no time to dodge again. Time seemed to slow down as the white leather collar approached, preparing to wrap itself around its target, its strap opening mid-air. She could vaguely still hear a voice in her mind, the golden-haired girl yelling at her. She wanted her to... say something? To...

“B-Bloom Change!”

The burst of energy released from Sofia’s body was enough to knock the collar off its trajectory. Pink light surrounded her body, coming from inside of her, enveloping her and filling her very being. Those strange feelings that had been bubbling within her chest for the past week seemed to finally burst, but as overwhelming as they were, it wasn’t a bad sensation at all. Confidence; strength; an unwavering sense of justice. She had no idea what was happening to her, she didn’t know what she had done to deserve the power that now welled up within her, but as she opened her eyes and looked at the leather-clad villain in front of her, she knew what she had to do.

“Miraculous heroine, Bloom Hope! I won’t let you hurt anyone!”

“What... what is this?” the woman said, arming herself with a new collar, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the magical girl before her with desire. “I don’t know who you are, but I absolutely must have you now. Soon, you’ll belong to the Argent Tamer!”

Sofia—Bloom Hope—could see herself reflected back through a nearby window, the one in which she had seen the golden-haired girl just moments before. She looked different—she didn’t even recognise herself at first. She was so _pink_. Her ruffled dress looked like something out of a fairy tale, multi-layered and detailed, bubble-gum pink and white with deeper pink details, small white wings adorning her back. Her cinnamon hair had turned bright pink, long and silky; her eyes were deep magenta, as bright and vibrant as her costume was. Her usual headband had transformed into a silver tiara, adorned with pink gemstones; under her dress, she had an opaque white pantyhose, and on her feet, a pair of heeled pink shoes. She seemed to glow with an inner, pink light that banished the darkness from around her, filled the night with determination and love.

She knew she should’ve been surprised, even frightened. She shouldn’t have been able to balance well on her shoes, entirely unused to heels as she was. But this felt right, like this was how she had always been meant to be.

“I’ll explain everything later,” said the gentle voice within her mind. Sofia could immediately recognise it belonging to the golden-haired girl of her dreams. “For now, please... please do your best.” There was a pleading, remorseful, tone to her voice, but there was no time now to ask why.

“Right!”

The woman attacked again, this time tossing two of her collars at the pink magical girl. Previously, her attacks had seemed as fast as bullets, but now they were clumsy and slow. Hope jumped out of their way, landing gracefully after a flip, the two collars falling on freshly mowed grass where she had just been.

“That’s not going to work... I think! Give up now, so I don’t have to hurt you!”

“Give up? When there’s such a precious kitten to tame? I think not, my dear. Not by a long shot,” she said, tossing a yet another collar at Bloom Hope. This attack, too, was deftly dodged, the collar hitting the wall behind the magical girl with a thud before landing on the ground.

“She’s not going to surrender, Bloom Hope,” said the voice in Sofia’s ear. “She cannot. Her spirit is warped by the Dark Shard within her. But it’s not too late to save her! If you destroy the shard, you can purify her. It hasn’t yet swallowed her soul!”

Sofia understood enough of the explanation. If she could save the woman from the darkness within her, she’d do it, no matter what it took. It shouldn’t be too difficult: the collars seemed to be the woman’s only weapons, and she was down to the last one. It seemed like the time for her to push her advantage; she’d never beat her if she didn’t go on the offensive. “Dream Wave!”

Thrusting her palms forward, Bloom Hope unleashed her attack. Circular waves of pink energy sprung forth, glittering in the air, impacting against the Argent Tamer who had been far too slow to react. With a scream, the villainess was flung backwards as if hit by a giant mallet. Nothing else seemed affected by the magical girl’s attack, even the grass under her feet remaining undisturbed. “W-wow,” Sofia mumbled, taken aback by her own power. She had landed a solid hit even without trying, her opponent clearly hurt.

With a grimace on her silver lips, the Tamer stood up with shaky legs, the final collar already in her hand. “A kitten that scratches must be properly trained. Submit already!” she yelled, throwing it at her opponent with all her might. But like before, the attack was easily avoided, the magical girl twisting her body out of the way.

“J-jeez! I don’t really want to hurt you, but if I have to... Dream Wa—?!” The magical girl’s voice was cut out in surprise. As she tried to lift up her right arm, something _squeezed_ against it, preventing it from moving. A silver thread; the one that had been attached to the collar the Tamer had thrown just before. When had it...?

“Did you really think that was my only trick, dear?” the woman said, laughing as she stepped closer. Lifting up one hand, she retrieved four of the collars she'd thrown. Spinning them casually, a cruel smile on her silver lips, she narrowed her eyes. “No kitten I’ve ever known has managed to resist the urge to play with some string. Shall we try again?”

“Ugh...” Sofia tried to wrestle her arm free, only to have the Tamer tug at the string, pulling her closer and forcing her to fall on her knees. Without wasting the opportunity, she tossed all five collars in her hand directly at the magical girl. “N-no! Dream Wave!”

Though her right hand was unusable, her left hand was still free. Using it to try to knock the collars off the air, she only barely managed to conjure up a solitary ring of energy. It was enough to knock the most dangerous one off-course, the one that had been aimed at her neck. The rest of the collars, though, landed true, latching onto her wrists and her thighs, tying them tightly. With another tug of her strings, the Argent Tamer forced her limbs apart, picking up a fallen collar of the ground and slowly approaching the helpless magical girl. “We’ve had our fun, but playtime’s over. You’ll be the first of many new pets, my dear. Oh, the fun we’ll have together once I’ve claimed you all for myself...”

The confidence and strength from earlier seemed to be all but gone. The leather collars wrapped around her limbs squeezed tight, spreading her arms and preventing her from moving or attacking the woman. Blind panic was welling up within Sofia’s chest. Just a moment ago, she had felt so invincible, and now she was at the villain’s mercy. What was going to happen to her? Why couldn’t she have taken this a bit more seriously, why couldn’t she have—

“Bloom Hope! Please, listen!” came the voice from within her. The tone was strained, and urgent, but it was what Sofia needed to snap her out of it. She swallowed her fear and listened. “It’s not over yet. She’s underestimating you. Wait until she gets close, and then...”

“Given up, have you?” The Argent Tamer said, narrowing her catlike eyes. “Good girl. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll show you the pleasure of calling me your mistress.” Opening the collar in her hands, she brought it closer and closer to the magical girl’s exposed neck.

“...Bloom Charge!” The streak of pink energy from the skies hit the magical girl like a bolt of lightning. The sheer power contained within it was too much for the both of them. For just a moment, Bloom Hope’s costume shined a brighter pink than ever before, illuminating the whole quiet street with her light—but she wasn’t strong enough to contain it. The light dissipated, as did her costume. She was back as her usual self, as mere Sofia Sylte, exhausted and dizzy.

Argent Tamer fared even worse, though. The four collars binding the magical girl burst into pink flames and vanished; the villain herself was thrown back, rolling across the street and hitting a stone wall without even having a chance to scream. For a moment, all was quiet, neither combatant standing up. But then, finally, Sofia staggered to her feet, barely keeping her balance.

Her every muscle ached; her head was spinning. She had to run, she had to...

“Now is your chance,” the voice within her said. “You can help her, Bloom Hope. You can save her!”

The leather-clad woman’s fingers were twitching. It looked like she could pick herself up at any moment. If she did, Sofia would be helpless, just an ordinary girl against whoever or whatever the Argent Tamer was. But once again, she swallowed her fear. She calmed her shaking legs and took a few long steps to reach the villain’s side. She knew what she had to do.

“Bloom... Bloom Cure! Please, heal this damaged soul...”

Sofia’s hands glowed with warm, gentle light. The power wasn’t her own; it sprung forth from the golden-haired girl, passing through her, warming her and soothing her. She reached for the Argent Tamer, towards, _within_ her, and laid her hands on the object that was poisoning her from within. A jagged crystal shard, like a piece of obsidian with a poison green glow, corruptive and vile.

“N-no... my dreams...” the Tamer mumbled, but it was too late. As Sofia wrapped her fingers around it, it cracked and shattered, the shadows melting away from within the woman’s soul. And before Sofia’s very eyes, she returned back to normal: her leathery costume vanishing as it made way for ordinary street clothes, the glow of her silver pupils getting dimmer until her eyes returned their usual brown.

“You... you did it!” This time, the voice came from behind Sofia. Turning around, she found herself face to face with the girl she’d seen in her dreams, so many times this past week. That she never could quite remember.

She was beautiful, in a way that no living human Sofia had ever seen had been. A perfect fairy tale princess in a dress of white and gold, her blue eyes and golden hair so radiant they almost hurt to look at. She didn’t look old; perhaps Sofia’s age, perhaps just a bit older. Still, there was something ageless about her, a sense of gentleness and beauty that made Sofia feel humbled. It was like being face to face with a goddess, rather than human—and maybe she was.

“Y-yeah.” Sofia said, feeling a little timid all of a sudden. “I guess I did...”

“No need to be modest!” the princess declared, smiling brightly as she moved to pat Sofia’s head. As nice as the gesture was, her delicate fingers went right through the cinnamon-haired girl’s head. Only now did Sofia notice the other girl’s body was a bit transparent. She was a vision of some sort, or a spirit; either way, it didn’t look like she was physically present. “You did great! Clumsy as that was, I’ve barely seen anyone with such an affinity for the Heart before!”

“Affinity for the... Heart?” Sofia repeated back, scratching her cheek bashfully. “Thanks for the compliment, I guess. But, you know, I don’t really know anything about what’s going on...”

The princess crossed her arms and nodded, puffing her cheeks a bit. It was a childish gesture; maybe she was younger than Sofia, after all? “Oh. Yes, I know. Of course. Look, don’t worry about it, okay?” she said, a serious look in her sky-blue eyes. “I’m going to explain everything later. I owe you that much, at least, as hard as you have been to reach!”

“Are you going to be in my dreams again?” Sofia asked.

“It’s too unreliable. But manifesting like this is kind of risky, too. Do you have a mirror in your room?” she asked, and Sofia nodded. “Great! We can use that. There’s a lot you need to know, and I need to thank you, and apologise, and...” she shook her head. “I-I’ll talk to you later, though! Tonight!”

The golden-haired girl vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving Sofia alone on the now-quiet street. She glanced at the unconscious woman lying on the lawn; she seemed to be breathing, at least. Suddenly, going home seemed like a great idea: she didn’t really want to be found like this, she would have no clue how to explain any of this.

Without giving the matter any further thought, Sofia began running back home. “Jeez! W-what the heck just happened?!”


	3. Another Fate

In a place that isn’t a place, a young girl clad in cobwebs tugs at strings of fate, reading them with her small fingers. Feeling every little bump, every little knot and tangle, focusing with touch on what her milk-white eyes cannot see.

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” she says, turning her head to smile at her visitor. She wasn’t expecting one. Even the _Moirai_ can be surprised, it seems. She giggles. “I’ve been busy. My sisters have been taking it too easy as of late. All this work, piling on my shoulders...”

She shakes her head, but the gesture is playful. The truth is apparent. She likes what she’s doing. Her duty is a blessing, not a curse.

“Do you want to see?” she asks. She plucks at a string, producing a bright tone. It’s a beautiful, and a haunting, sound. One that leaves the listener uncertain of what might come next. “...I suppose I’ll have to help you. Here, take my hand.”

It’s a small hand, cold and frail. It’s not a hand suited for weaving. It’s not a hand suited for cutting. But it’s delicate and sensitive, and for her, that’s all that matters. Her fingers wrap around the visitor’s, holding tight.

“This is a strong string. It’s thick and taut. I think... I think that’s a bit boring. Don’t you?” She sighs, her little shoulders slumping. “But here. Look. See how it frays?”

It’s almost imperceptible, but it’s there. Smaller strings branching out of the main one, thin as a garden spider’s web. So small and delicate that even the girl hesitates to touch them, but she finally reaches for one. Tracing her finger across the very first one she can find. Sighing contently.

“Do you see it?” she asks her visitor, squeezing their hand. “Look.”

“The Princess chose her champion well. Strength of will, and above that, strength of heart. As dangerous as things seemed, she really wasn’t in much danger. There wasn’t a lot that could’ve gone wrong, against an opponent as weak as this one.”

Quiet suburbs in the evening. A girl clad in pink fighting against a woman in white. When all hope seems lost, the Princess offers her aid.

“The champion was inexperienced. It was her first battle. You couldn’t really expect a flawless performance, but this was enough, wasn’t it? If only because her opponent was at least as new to this a she was.” The girl giggles. “It’s like a playground scuffle. Neither of them really even knows how to hurt the other. Neither of them knows how to even begin wielding the powers they’ve been granted.”

“But look,” she says, gently stroking the thin, thin thread. “It could’ve gone differently, too. There was a chance, one ever so small, that the trap would’ve been noticed. What do you think would’ve happened then?”

There is a mischievous, excited smile on the girl’s lips. “Look. I’ll show you.”

* * *

“Bloom Hope! Please, listen!” came the voice from within her. The tone was strained, and urgent, but it was what Sofia needed to snap her out of it. She swallowed her fear and listened. “It’s not over yet. She’s underestimating you. Wait until she gets close, and then...”

“Given up, have you?” The Argent Tamer said, narrowing her catlike eyes. “Good girl. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll show you the pleasure of calling me your mistress.” Opening the collar in her hands, she brought it closer and closer to the magical girl’s exposed neck... but something made her hesitate. Time stood still. The girl in the pink dress looked afraid, but not nearly enough. There was a look in her eyes that suggested... something, a quiet resolve that left the Tamer feeling uneasy. And so, she took a step back, her hand slowly sliding down to her waist.

There had been six collars. One in her hand, four around the girl’s limbs, one unaccounted for. Finding the string that connected to it, she gave it a tug, sending her magic through it, and then—

Sofia gasped. The voice in her mind gasped as well. “No!”

The magical girl had expected the attack to come from the woman in front of her, but it had come from behind. A collar she’d already dodged, that had been resting against the stone wall behind her, hit the back of her neck and wrapped itself around it, the corruptive magic within in immediately beginning to flow into her.

“Bloom... Bloom Ch—” she tried to say, but the collar squeezed tight and the foreign magic disturbed her focus. It rippled through her body in waves, each hotter than the last. Starting from her neck, traversing down through her spine, up into her brain, her every nerve end and neuron flaring with strange heat and pleasure. She could vaguely still hear the golden-haired girl’s voice yelling at her, but she could no longer make out the words. Not through the rush of magic, not through the unnatural sensations it was filling her body with. “Bloom... n-no... n-nya..”

“...Beautiful...” Argent Tamer smiled. She had won, and now it was time for her to enjoy the show. The magical girl was changing before her very eyes. Her nails were growing longer and sharper, turning bright pink to match her costume, until they looked almost like sharp claws. Her human ears shrunk down, a pair of much cuter feline ones springing forth from the top of her head. Pushing out from under her costume came a cat’s tail, pink with a little white tip. She whined as her pupils shrunk, turning into thin slits much like the Tamer’s own.

Sofia’s thoughts were a jumble. She had never felt so good before. She had never felt so _wrong_ before, either. Her back arched as her body shivered in pleasure, her now-sharp claws digging into the dirt. The feverish state of bliss that her mind was being subjected to seemed to banish all rational thought; as good as it felt, Sofia had never been as afraid in her life. She was changing into something else; she was losing herself. She was... she was...

“Good girl,” said the Argent Tamer, tugging gently at the collar attached to her neck. Somewhere during the process, the other four had come undone, lying discarded on the grass. “Come here, kitten. Come to mistress.”

“A-ah... n-no, I don’t...” Sofia mumbled, blinking to try to clear the tears from her eyes. But she found herself obeying. Slowly, obediently, walking on all fours towards the villain who had defeated her. “N-nya...”

“Good girl. There, there...” The confident, arrogant smile on the woman’s face would’ve infuriated Sofia under any ordinary circumstances, but right now, the tone of her voice was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard. And when she reached out to pat her head, to scratch a little behind her ears, the newly created catgirl felt so good she thought she might melt. “Let’s go home, darling,” she whispered into her ear. “We’re going to make a perfect little pet out of you yet.”

* * *

The Argent Tamer had never been good with other people, but she had always known how to handle animals, cute kittens in particular. This one had been unruly at first, but little by little, she was getting housebroken.

“Come here, kitten,” the Tamer ordered, her voice gentle but firm. The pink-haired catgirl shivered a bit, her hair still wet from the bath she had been given. But she approached her mistress, a little hesitantly, climbing on the sofa with her as ordered.

“Nnn... nya...” she said, looking up into her mistress’ silver eyes. The Tamer smiled, grabbing the girl lightly under her chin, examining her closely. There was still some fear in the catgirl’s eyes, some rebellion, but much less than before. The light in them was starting to go out, and with it, any memory of her former life and identity. She’d still have to wear the collar for a while, to ensure her obedience—but before long, she’d be fully tame.

That night, the girl’s mistress let her sleep in her bed. She had been apprehensive at first, afraid of the woman who’d collared her, taken her humanity away. But the sweet words whispered into her ear, the gentle kisses and scratches, the warmth of her body as she held her close had been too much for her. There simply wasn’t any fight left in her. She found herself nuzzling against her new owner, purring, responding positively to every little touch and affirmation. And though she could still remember her human name when she fell asleep, by the time morning came around, her old life was forgotten, her human self purged by the Argent Tamer’s dark magic.


End file.
